Australian Labourer Believed Killed Fighting in Ukraine

Caleb List, a 25-year-old labourer from Gladstone, Queensland, who traveled to Ukraine in 2022 to join the Ukrainian Foreign Legion after being rejected by the Australian Defence Force, is feared to have been killed in recent fighting in the Kharkiv region. Sources indicate that he disappeared during heavy fighting near Izyum and is believed to have died from artillery fire, though his remains have not yet been found. List described himself as a mercenary seeking experience and a new purpose after struggling to find opportunities in Australia, and he had previously attempted to join the army cadets and the French Foreign Legion. His death comes shortly after another Australian, Nick Parsons, was confirmed killed in Ukraine while working on landmine clearance. The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance to families of those missing or killed in Ukraine and continues to warn Australians against traveling there. List's story highlights the involvement of foreign volunteers in Ukraine's conflict and the personal risks they face.